43Start of process

(1)When an offender is due to be released at his or her statutory release date, or to be considered by the Board for parole, the Department of Corrections must provide the Board with—

(a)copies of all relevant information relating to the offender's current and previous convictions, including (for example) sentencing notes and pre-sentence reports; and

(b)if the offender has engaged in any restorative justice processes, any reports arising from those processes; and

(c)in the case of an offender detained in a prison, a report by the Department of Corrections; and

(d)[Repealed]

(e)in the case of an offender currently detained in, or on leave from, a hospital, a report from the responsible clinician (or the most suitable other health professional to provide such a report) concerning the offender and any care programmes that the hospital has put, or intends to put, in place for the offender; and

(ea)in the case of an offender currently detained in, or on leave from, a secure facility, a report from the compulsory care co-ordinator concerning the offender and the care and rehabilitation plan that has been, or is to be, put in place for the offender; and

(2)The Board must take all reasonable steps to give notice to the following people that a hearing is pending:

(a)the offender:

(b)every victim of the offender:

(c)the manager of the prison in which the offender is detained (if applicable):

(d)[Repealed]

(e)the Director of Area Mental Health Services (in the case of an offender currently detained, or on leave from, in a hospital):

(ea)the compulsory care co-ordinator (in the case of an offender currently detained in, or on leave from, a secure facility):

(f)the Police.

(2A)When, under subsection (2)(b), the Board gives notice to a victim that a hearing is pending, the Board must also prepare and send to the victim an explanation of the hearing process and how the victim may participate in that process.

(3)If the hearing relates to an offender who is subject to a long-term sentence, any victim who is notified must be advised that he or she may request information on the offender under section 44.

(4)A failure to notify any person listed in subsection (2)(b) to (f), and a failure to obtain all the information referred to in subsection (1)(a), does not invalidate a hearing.

(5)Any person notified under subsection (2) may write to the Board, by a given date, making submissions on, or giving information relevant to,—

(a)the substantive matter to be decided; and

(b)whether the hearing should be an unattended hearing or an attended hearing.

(6)For the purpose of providing the reports required under subsection (1)(e) and (f), the responsible clinician (or other health professional) referred to in subsection (1)(e), or the chief executive referred to in subsection (1)(f) (as the case may be), must, on request by the chief executive, supply a report on the relevant offender to the chief executive as required.